Planned ID card changes are utterly impractical: Thai editorial

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Planned ID card changes are utterly impractical
The Nation

Distracted yet again from crucial issues, the government has nothing to gain, while citizens have much to lose

BANGKOK: -- In August, when Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha first floated the idea of adding citizens' occupations and income to the data displayed on national identity cards, it went largely unnoticed. Yet when he repeated the proposal that's now become a plan during his latest televised address on Saturday morning, it met with strong criticism from citizens and rights watchdogs.

In Prayut's eyes, the change - to be implemented in 2017 - will let the government determine who should pay tax and how much and who is entitled to financial assistance.

To those raising the alarm, it is a further clamp on basic freedoms, of the sort that have been occurring since this government came to power following the May 2014 coup.

Tracking citizens by occupation and income is neither necessary nor practical. More significantly, it would violate their right to privacy.

All citizens between ages seven and 70 are required to carry an ID card bearing their name, address, birth date and photograph. It must also show their religion, a stipulation that critics have often said can result in prejudicial treatment.

Since failure to produce a national identity card can result in denial of state services, it is the primary means to verify one's entitlement to those services. In such circumstances, providing one's name and a photograph ought to be sufficient, and often are. The address and choice of religion are superfluous information, and sharing them invites potentially harmful intrusion on one's right to privacy.

The authorities face a major problem stemming from outdated and inaccurate information listed on the cards. It's been calculated that millions of addresses appearing on these documents are false or out of date. Although the law requires citizens to update their cards if they move, few bother to do so.

Prayut's plan to have occupation and level of income added to the ID card strikes us as even more impractical. The card remains valid for only eight years, during which time most people's income and occupation can change frequently. People might change jobs several times over a period of eight years, and their income will likely follow suit.

In reality, the government can never hope to maintain an accurate databank on citizens' occupations and income via this method. Though there is scope for lying when applying for the card, most citizens give honest information. How can they possibly know, however, whether they'll have the same job and salary by the time the card expires?

A good swath of the populace will of course be more diligent about updating the information held by the authorities and report their changing personal circumstances. But the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly enough that the statistical picture will always remain blurred and incomplete.

Information on personal finances surrendered to the authorities for imprinting on the ID card will never be accurate enough to calculate an individual's tax rates or level of government assistance.

Premier Prayut would be better focusing on reforms and development that foster genuine social reconciliation and economic progress, rather than cooking up impractical and half-baked schemes for the identity card.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Planned-ID-card-changes-are-utterly-impractical-30274925.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-15

[JeremyBowskill]

Why should anyone have to have their salary on view for all to see........... Suppose it makes it easier for the police to hit people up for the right amount at check points though.

[lust]

Yesterday's news said the idea was already scrapped. Try and keep up.

[leeneeds]

People are basically lazy when up dating personal information and that goes all around the world , not just here,

losing control = wanting control = Chip inserted in the body has all the info and every time you pass a check point it will send message of who you are, what you owe etc etc,

The future will be something like this, long after I am gone i think.

[maoro2013]

What about farmers incomes.

If you grow rubber it may be a quarter of what is was 3 years ago.

[worgeordie]

Yesterday's news said the idea was already scrapped. Try and keep up.

Could be like the Submarines,and keep raising their heads,how many

U-turns have you seen in Thailand,the problem is MP's and other

business people would need very large cards so they could get their

income on the card, IF they told the truth,lots 0's.

regards Worgeordie

[LukKrueng]

"All citizens between ages seven and 70 are required to carry an ID card" - in OP

I'm pretty sure 15 is the age people are required to get the ID card. Last government had made it possible to issue the ID card at age 7, but not mandatory.

[LukKrueng]

Why should anyone have to have their salary on view for all to see........... Suppose it makes it easier for the police to hit people up for the right amount at check points though.

They said it was not going to be displayed on the card, but embedded in the microchip.

[LannaGuy]

Why should anyone have to have their salary on view for all to see........... Suppose it makes it easier for the police to hit people up for the right amount at check points though.

They said it was not going to be displayed on the card, but embedded in the microchip.

Still debasing people and what of the self-employed or those whose salary changes constantly? and most of 'earnings' are not declared anyway. This is about control.

[Jimbo2014]

The utter confusion of it all. Inmates running the mad house.

[DrTuner]

"Premier Prayut would be better focusing on reforms and development that foster genuine social reconciliation and economic progress, rather than cooking up impractical and half-baked schemes for the identity card."

Attitude adjustment, extra large portion coming right up! How dare you criticize the supreme leader. Even when you have recognized the hallmark of inadept government, micro managing, shut up and bend over.

[jonclark]

I look forward to seeing how much Prayut and the rest of the military / political elites salary are!

Should make it easier to work out if they are able to afford their mortgage repayments on their 30+ million baht properties on their current salaries.

[ratcatcher]

Yesterday's news said the idea was already scrapped. Try and keep up.

At least someone is up to speed here.

It has been scrapped, probably as just another job-creating, paper -wasting idea thought up by someone with no idea of the implications.

The report in the paper that cannot be quoted can be read at

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=Planned+ID+card+changes&oq=Planned+ID+card+changes&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=Planned+ID+card+changes+in+thailand

[amerasianex]

These cards should not invade a persons privacy or any confidential information. Including any lawinforcement notes... Not polite and not nessacary to harm people with their past. Past is past...?

[tigermoth]

Another one of his so called 'reforms". There has yet to be one single action that could be called a reform implemented since the coup. All that has happened is a huge reduction in whatever reforms the country had already made. 99% of the proposed reforms have already been there, just not enforced. As for ID cards, they only need name and date of birth, place of birth and photo. The only possible extra item of information could be any serious medical condition the person might suffer from. The government has got its priorities totally wrong, probably deliberately so. They should be looking after the people, not themselves.

[saakura]

Yesterday's news said the idea was already scrapped. Try and keep up.

Yeah. He also said there would be no coup, several times. He also said he would not become a Prime Minister, more than once. Try and remember.

[retarius]

"Distracted from crucial issues"

It seems the junta are permanently distracted from crucial issues like the economy, slavery, corruption and the like. A big PR campaign is built around one instance, for example with slavery in the south....what about all the other people trafficking offenses? You can't live off that one bust forever. AP has a new report out today about slavery on shrimp boats....

So do we focus our efforts on the key issues...no a series of PR stunts is not any way to run a government...

[fred Kubasa]

" What's it all about Alfie ? "

[StatlerandWaldorf]

I think this was an absolutely awesome idea, the police would be able to see with a glance of the ID card who the law applies to and who it does not.

[William C F Pierce]

7 to 70 years old your must carry ID. What happens when your over 70 and you don't carry your ID? Will those ever so friendly Thai Police Officers accept your word that you don't need one?